Oblivious
by Cassie Noble
Summary: Oblivious to your love: Will Gardner, on the brink of death, in a deep coma. Alicia Florrick, closer to her feelings and her pain than she'd ever been. Will their bad timing ever come to an end?
1. I

Eli glances at Alicia as he hands her the phone, worrying as she looks back at him, unknowing of the harsh truth to come and confusion written all over her.

'Hello?' she asks.

'Alicia...' she heard Kalinda's voice whispering, more fragile than she'd ever heard it before, 'It's Will... he's been shot...'

Alicia took a sharp inhale of breath as she gripped the wall for support because the world started to slowly slip away, 'What?'

'Will was shot in court, he's in surgery... but the chances are small... I'm sorry... I have to go and talk with the police...'

The clattering sound of her phone hitting the floor echoed through her mind, numbing all her thoughts and emotions. Her chest felt empty as she started walking, the world around her nothing but a blur. Her breath hitching in her throat.

No... this couldn't... not him... not him...

"Diane thinks I'm being to hard on you... am I? Being to hard on you?' He asked her, a smirk playing on his lips as he held her, pressed against the elevators walls.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she opened the door of her car, her hands shaking. Slamming against the horn as more tears followed. Her hands gripping around the steering wheel as she felt the tugging at her heart worsen.

"What if we were to have good timing. For even an hour. What would that look like?" Will asked her, a subtle smile lingering on his lips.

"That would look like an exceptional moment," Alicia answered, a warmth filling her heart.

She drove into an open parking spot as she struggled with her seatbelt and sobs started leaving her lips.

'Are you alright?'

Alicia glanced at the woman, holding her child by her hand and she nodded. She rushed inside, feeling the woman's eyes burn holes in her back.

The child's words following behind her, 'Why is she crying mom?'

The smell of hospitals had always scared her, just like the white towering walls that were ready to swallow you whole. She rushed towards the information desk, 'Will Gardner... I need to see Will Gardner.'

'Please ma'am, will you wait in line just like everyone else,' the blonde told her as she turned back to the elderly lady in front of her.

"I took you in when no one wanted you! I hired you, I pushed for you! And you were poison!"

The room started spinning again, her hands clasping around the desk in order to try and keep standing, 'Will Gardner... he's in surgery... William Paul Gardner...'

The blonde seemed slightly agitated, but the elderly woman saw the panic in Alicia's eyes and stepped aside, 'Let her go first, I'm just here for a check-up.'

Tears rolled down Alicia's cheeks as she looked at the kind woman and the blonde opened a tab on her computer, 'William Paul Gardner was shot, he's in surgery at the moment, you can await him on the second floor in the hall of 210-220.'

'Thank you,' Alicia muttered as she ran up the stairs, seeing Diane from a distance.

'Alicia...' she whispered, as if anything louder would break her.

'What happened? Where is he? I...' Alicia's voice failed as sobs took over, every bit of restraint she had left slipping away from her.

Diane engulfed her into a hug and sobbed silently with her, 'He was shot by his client, he's in surgery but... the chances are...'

And she didn't have to finish her sentence, because Alicia knew. They all knew. Slowly she felt her legs failing to support her and she stumbled back against the wall, falling into a chair.

'Do we need to... call his family... or...' Alicia was rambling and her words were barely audible.

'I took care of that, his sisters are already here... Alicia you... you need to take care of yourself right now. I need to go back to the firm, but promise me you'll take care of yourself?'

Alicia nodded, even though it was a lie. They both knew it was and they both knew that there was nothing that could change it.

Once Diane was gone Alicia stared at Will's sisters, sobbing into each other's shoulders. She'd never seen them before. Why would she have? They'd never... she called everything off before they'd even... before she even gave it a chance...

"When I look at you during the day... I want to know what you're thinking."

'You're here for William Paul Gardner?'

Alicia blinked as she looked up, 'Yes.'

'Are you family, wife...?'

"I like myself around you, Alicia. I don't like myself around a lot of people."

Alicia swallowed thickly, her blood running cold as she shook her thoughts away, 'I'm his... coworker... former coworker...'

The doctor frowned, but nodded and turned to Will's sisters, 'Are you family then?'

'Yes. Yes we are. Audrey and Sara Gardner, we're his sisters.'

'I'm afraid we had to put William Paul Gardner in a medically induced coma... he started slipping away during the procedure and this was the only thing we could do. If you...'

"It would've just been life."

Alicia felt nauseous as the rest of the man's words became nothing but a blur, she gripped the seat tightly, her muscles burning as her breathing quickened.

'Ma'am! Ma'am!' the man shouted as he dropped unto his knees and tilted Alicia's face so he could look at her, 'You should see a doctor ma'am.'

Alicia shook her head stubbornly, her voice was hoarse as she asked, 'Can I see him? If he's in a coma can I still... am I allowed to see him?'

He glanced at the sisters of the patient and glanced back at the woman who started to seem less and less like just a colleague, 'My apologies ma'am. The first twenty four hours definitely not and without the permission of his relatives you can't visit later either.'

Alicia nodded and looked down, the tears had stopped falling, she buttoned up her coat and rushed out of the hospital. Without noticing that two women were following behind her. She felt someone tap on her shoulder and she turned around, swiftly.

'You know Will?' Sara asked.

The question was innocent but it cut through every nerve in her body. Of course she knew Will. She'd known him ever since Georgetown, she knew how he pitched on the baseball field, she knew how he studied in the library and she knew how he absolutely blew it during mock trial. 'Yes.'

'You're a lawyer.'

It was more of a statement than a question, but Alicia answered anyway, 'Yes.'

'You're his friend?'

This question came from Audrey and tears pricked in Alicia's eyes as she muttered in all honesty, 'I don't know.'

"God you're awful, and you don't even know how awful you are."

Tears rolled down her cheeks once again and her voice cracked. 'He hated me,' her eyes widened, 'oh god... he hated me...'

Audrey and Sara stared at her in confusion as she walked away, but they didn't bother to chase after her. He hated her, she said so herself. So it didn't matter.


	2. II

Grace knocked on Zach's door and walked inside his room. Zach was ready to hand her a speech about waiting until he said that she could come in, when he saw the look on his sisters face.

'What's wrong?'

Grace showed him a plate filled with pancakes, 'She's not eating... she's not moving... she just lays there under the covers...'

A sigh left Zach's lips, 'I know...'

'Do you think that she... do you think that mom loves him?' Grace asked as she sat down on the bed, 'I mean, I heard them talking on the phone once. And when I asked her about it she said that she didn't want to tell.'

Zach frowned as he looked at his sister, 'Maybe.'

They both looked up as they heard the door of the master bedroom open, a bit of hope sparking inside of them.

Alicia completely ignored Peter as she walked into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of red wine. And he looked at her, a bigger mess than he'd ever seen her. Dressed in comfort clothes and her hair that looked an awful lot like a bird nest.

'You okay?'

'I really wish everyone would stop asking me that, I'm fine,' she snapped as she took a sip from her wine.

'Alicia, the way your handling this Will thing...'

She glared at him, 'I'm doing my best.'

A sarcastic chuckle left his mouth, 'Oh, well, if this is your best, then I think we need to talk.' Alicia's eyes widened in disbelief but he kept talking, 'Look he's not dead yet. You didn't loose a friend, you didn't loose a child. You did not loose your husband.'

'I lost my husband a long time ago.'

'Oh my-' he sputtered, 'you cannot go back there.'

Alicia's voice turned cold and indifferent, 'I don't have to. I'm still living it, every day.'

'Oh my god- how many times do I have to tell you?! When I cheated it didn't mean anything!'

'Well then that was a waste,' she spat at him, 'because when I cheated it did!'

And she wanted to keep ranting, when I cheated it meant everything. Everything. I didn't get bored, I didn't just jump into some hooker's bed. When I cheated it meant everything.

'Well if you think your life would've been better with Will, you are kidding yourself-'

'Stop it, Peter!' she cut him off.

'No! I'm not gonna let you throw away this marriage because you have some I idealized notion of a man you're not even sure cares about you!'

'You're a bastard.'

'And you're a selfish bitch,' he yelled back at her, 'but you know what?! We're all that we have.'

Alicia shook her head in disbelief, 'No, not anymore. Don't worry, I'm not gonna divorce you. You're too valuable to me professionally, just like I am to you. But we're not gonna see each other anymore, not unless we have to. If you need me at a political event, you call the office. My assistant will put it on my calendar.'

'Really?'

'I'm not finished. You are free to sleep with whomever you like, but I don't want to know. And under no circumstances are our children to know. Understood?'

Peter leans in, a death glare in his eyes, 'Is this because you want to sleep with someone else? With Will?'

And there they were back to Will, Alicia's fists clenched as she put her glass down on the kitchen counter. An ice cold anger running through her bones, a calmness she didn't know existed. 'Yes, Peter, yes. That was exactly what I was thinking about. Banging Will while he's in a goddamn coma! You got me! You unraveled my evil mastermind plan.'

'Alicia...'

'No! How can you? Not everyone is that fucking selfish! He's on the brink of death! He might never wake up! And you're just ranting about all the bad things you think he is.'

'Well he did-'

'Out! Get out of my house!'

And Peter stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

All color was drained from Grace's face as she looked at Zach, who looked exactly the same. 'It's really over this time, isn't it?'

Zach looked down and nodded, 'I think so...'

A tear rolled down Grace's cheek, 'What do we do now?'

Zach shrugged, turning to his computer and then turning back. 'Mom said she cheated. Do you think that was when they were separated?'

Grace wiped her tear away, 'Mom was really happy during that time.'

Zach nodded and stared at his sister and they both knew the answer to his earlier question.


	3. III

Audrey sat beside her brother, who looked more fragile than he ever had before. She touched his cold hand and a tear slipped down her cheek, again.

She heard the door creak and she looked up, only to see Diane, whom she'd learned to be Will's name partner in the firm he worked at. Diane had been visiting every evening, talking to Will about the progress they made in certain cases.

Audrey never quite grasped what she was talking about, but she enjoyed listening to Diane's calm voice and the jokes she made in between.

'Hey,' Diane greeted her.

Audrey just nodded in return and watched her sit down in the seat on the other side of the bed.

'I have been trying not to meddle, but I can't take it any longer.'

Audrey looked up, a frown on her face, 'What do you mean?'

'I'd like to ask you to put Alicia on the visitation list.'

'Alicia Florrick? The Governor's wife?'

Before Diane could answer, Sara walked in with two cups of coffee, she glanced at Diane, 'Do you want one?'

She shook her head, 'No, I'm fine.'

'Diane asked us to put Alicia Florrick on the visitation list,' Audrey filled Sara in.

Sara frowned, 'But Will hated her, she said so herself.'

'He was merely upset with her, he could never bring himself to hate her,' Diane hesitated, she didn't know what she should tell them, 'they were very good friends. And I think that it would be good for Will, to hear her voice.'

Sara raised her eyebrow, but Audrey nodded, 'Okay, we'll get her on it.'

Diane smiled and she turned to Will, 'I guess Alicia will be paying a visit to you shortly then. Remember how you insisted we'd hire her? I didn't get it at the time. She was thirteen years out of practice, she had two children and her husband was in jail.'

Sara glanced at Audrey, they had no idea why their brother would insist on hiring her.

'But you just kept arguing, like a true lawyer. "Alicia Cavanaugh was the top of her class back in Georgetown, her last name may have changed but her skills did not." Even when she was hired, I didn't see it in the beginning. And then she became one of the best lawyers I've ever seen. Remember when she and Cary beat us? That was embarrassing.'

Diane trailed off and looked down, remembering the time she told Will to break up with Alicia. How she wished she'd never asked him to do that...

'We miss you. Even David Lee, he's fighting for your office of course, but I know he's hurting. We all are.'

Alicia bit her lip as she stood in front of the hospital, after getting a call from Diane she'd decided to visit. In her stomach she felt an awful combination of dread, hope and relief. She didn't want to see Will like this, attached to several machines and fighting for his life. But she couldn't imagine not going to see him, not being there.

She stepped inside and as she walked through the halls she felt sick, it was her fault after all. The kid was her client, not Will's. She was supposed to be in court that day, if she hadn't left the firm. She, not him.

She stopped walking as she reached Will's room and her hand was shaking as she pushed the door open.

Her heart clenched as she saw Will. His eyes closed, pipes from his body to a machine, keeping him alive. He was pale, paler than she'd ever seen him before.

'Hey.'

Alicia's eyes fluttered as she looked at Audrey, she hadn't noticed his sisters until now. She didn't trust her voice so she smiled at them, a sad smile.

Audrey lifted from her seat and went to the other side of the bed, sitting down next to her sister, so Alicia could hold his hand.

She sat down and took his hand into hers, a thin walls between her and her emotions shattering. Tears running down her cheeks like waterfalls.

'I'm so sorry...' she whispered, her voice fragile and hoarse, 'I should've... I should've been the one fighting that case, not you. I should've been the one in here.'

She wiped her tears away and sighed, 'I didn't mean to leave the firm, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... after everything, I couldn't keep working there. Seeing you everyday, it made things so incredibly hard. And then Cary offered me an easy way out and I took it.'

Alicia leaned back into her seat, 'I miss you, Will. Please don't,' her voice cracked as she continued, 'please don't leave me. I can't... I need you. Okay?'

She seemed to have completely forgotten that his sisters were still in the room, 'We can... we can talk about happy times, right? The good timing? We didn't have much of that, did we? But when we did it was perfect, remember New York? I said that I was the happiest I'd ever been. And I did mean it, Will, I did.'

In the midst of Alicia's story, her phone started ringing. She glanced at the screen, Peter, it read. She pushed the ignore button and looked back at Will.

'I-'

She was cut off by her phone ringing again, Grace, it read this time. She glanced back at Will and sighed, 'I need to go now, but I'll be back. I promise.'

She stood up and placed a kiss on Will's forehead, only realizing that there were other people in that room as she walked away. And oddly enough, she didn't mind.

Audrey stared at Sara for a few seconds, 'So it wasn't Kalinda... it was the First Lady of Illinois... how the hell did he do that?'

A nurse walked inside before Sara could answer, 'I'm sorry to interrupt, but what happened in the last fifteen minutes?'

Sara frowned, worry flooding her mind, 'Why? What's going on?'

'Nothing... it's just...' the nurse hesitated, 'his vitals changed, for the better. Like he's... fighting harder. I don't know. Sometimes it happens, for some patients it's the smell of their mother's home baked brownies and of for others it's a certain song. It's rare, but it happens.'

Audrey glanced at the empty chair, Alicia had been sitting in, 'Can it be someone?'

'Yes, I suppose.'

'We need to call Diane,' Sara decided, 'and we need her to ask if Alicia can camp here.'


	4. IV

Alicia slammed the door close as she entered her house, dropping her bag on the floor.

'Don't forget to clean up after yourself.'

Alicia turned around to see Owen on her couch, a smirk resting on his lips.

'So, how about you tell me who's about to get their ass kicked?' he asked as his hand disappeared in a bowl of candy.

Alicia sighed and sat down next to her brother, 'Peter. He called me with Grace's phone, while I was at the hospital, even though I told him to never call me again if not through my office.'

'Well at least you're finally aware of the jackass he really is.'

She nodded and leaned back in the couch, tears welling up in her eyes, 'Will...' her voice cracked, 'Will was shot... he's-he's-'

'I know,' Owen reassured her, 'that's why I'm here. Grace called, she said she was worried and that you needed a friend. And she didn't know if you had any friends, so she thought your brother would do.'

A smile cracked on Alicia's lips and she ruffled through her brother's hair, 'I think you'll do too.'

'Remember when we staid at that motel and you were rambling about this Tammy girl?'

Alicia nodded, of course she remembered, 'You mean the night you did drugs?'

'Yeah, anyway, you told me about this second voicemail and I couldn't get it out of my head. So I started reading up on it, I think you could get it back.'

Another tear rolled down Alicia's cheek, 'I dropped my phone, it doesn't work anymore.'

'That's okay, as long as your memory card is still functioning. Can you give it to me? I'll do the rest, we both know you're a disaster when it comes to anything related to technology.'

A hopeful smile graced her lips as she handed him her old phone, 'Thank you.'

'Your welcome, though in the future you should listen to my advice more often. Next topic, when are you divorcing Peter?'

Alicia swallowed a lump in her throat, 'I'm not going to, he needs me for his political things. Saint Alicia needs to stand beside her husband or he's ruined.'

'How long are you going to do that Alicia? There will always be another campaign, another political position. He's never going to settle with this.'

She glanced down, avoiding her brother's gaze. Only looking up once the doorbell rang, 'That better not be Peter.'

She opened the door only to see Audrey and Sara, 'Oh... hello? Can I help you with something?'

Owen's eyebrow raised out of curiosity and he carried the bowl of candy with him when he walked over to his sister.

'We need your help,' Sara started, 'the nurse said that Will's vitals improved when you were there, talking to him. They think it would make his chances of survival bigger if you... staid with him.'

Alicia felt her balance shift and she grasped Owen's arm for support, 'Of course... I'll be there...'

'Now if that's not a sign you and Mr. Georgetown belong together-'

'Shut up, Owen!' Alicia cut him off as she grabbed her bag, 'Would you mind looking after Zach and Grace? I'm supposed to watch over them this weekend.'

'No problem at all, they love uncle Owen.'

'We'll drive you,' Audrey told Alicia as she went to grab her car keys.

Alicia smiled and followed them outside, into the car.

'So, Alicia Florrick, First Lady of Illinois,' Sara stared, receiving a soft disapproving nudge from her sister.

Alicia but her lip and hesitated before answering, 'Yes, that's me.'

'And you kissed my brother on his forehead, you need to tell us what's going on. Because all of this sounds...'

'Complicated,' Alicia finished Sara's sentence, 'it is. I met your brother during law school at Georgetown.'

'You're Alicia Cavanaugh!' Audrey exclaimed as something clicked in her mind.

'Yes. Your brother is a very good friend of mine.'

'You kissed him,' Sara insisted as she looked through the rear mirror.

Alicia swallowed thickly, 'Bad timing... Will and I have always had it...'

They arrived at the hospital and Alicia got out of the car as quickly as she could, heading to Will's room. Tears welling up again as she saw him.

'Hey Will, here I am again... I promised I'd be back.'

Sara and Audrey entered the room and sat down in the chairs on the opposite side of the bed, listening carefully.

'Owen, my brother, you saw him in my office one day I think. He's going to look if he can retrieve that voicemail, the one my phone gobbled. The second one. I asked you what you said and you told me that it said I was right. That we would've never worked out. I just want to hear it.'

A tear rolled down her cheek, 'I didn't mean it you know, I guess I just wanted... to rule out the possibility. Because if it could've worked out and I threw it away... just because I didn't want to be like my mother... I...'

She shook her head and wiped her tears away, 'You know what's stupid, Peter called me a selfish bitch. If you were the one to say it, I could've... I would've been able to understand. But Peter... After everything he did, sleeping with a hooker, at least eighteen times. And with Kalinda, my best friend. I forgave him, because I had to think about the children. I tossed away my happiness, just to be his Saint Alicia.'

She closed her eyes and saw the camera's and screams of the press, the footage of the news channels playing Peter's indiscretions in a twenty-four hour loop.

'But at the moment, he's right. I am a selfish bitch, because I want you back, Will. I can't bare the thought of a world without you in it. Never being able to work on cases together, or to see you completely destroy the persecution in court.'

A small laugh escaped her lips, 'Remember when we had to go against each other. You pulled objection after objection, knowing it would make me nervous. That was really low. Cary basically told me to get my shit together and I told him I had a way to pull you off your game. He didn't think it'd matter if I changed into another outfit, he was so skeptical. But he had no idea.'

Her hand squeezed his softly as she continued, 'You became a stuttering mess in court, I didn't say it then but I enjoyed watching that. I like watching you in court, especially when you get too arrogant and piss off the judge.'

Audrey smiled, 'He does that?'

'Yeah...' Alicia laughed, 'he does. After winning so many cases his ego has just become too big. They tried to disbar him because they thought he won to many cases. They thought he was bribing judges, but they never even considered that he could just be that good.'

'What is he like?' Sara asked, tears shining in her eyes, 'In court I mean.'

'Amazing,' Alicia let a laugh escape her lips, 'I can't even begin to count how many stunts he's pulled. There was this time in a military court, where he just pissed of the judge so bad that he got kicked out and held in custody.'

'He did what?!' Sara shouted softly, worry taking over again.

'We asked for a continuance, so we'd have more time. When they didn't grant us one, he got himself kicked out. Because the military law states that if the lawyer is kicked out, they get a continuance so a new lawyer has enough time to prepare for trial.'

'That idiot,' Sara muttered, but a smile cracked through as she looked at him, 'You know that Audrey always wanted him to become a musician. But mainly because our father didn't want him to be a musician.'

'Will is incredible on the guitar, dad was just ignorant.'

Alicia frowned, 'Will plays the guitar?'

'Yeah, they gave him classes because they believed it would be good for him. But when he actually started to like it, they believed it to be a too financially unstable path.'

Sara sighed after hearing her sister rant, 'Well it is a financially unstable path.'

Alicia bit her lip and glanced at Will, 'When you wake up- and you will wake up, because I don't know what I'd do if you don't- you're going to play the guitar for me. And that's not up to debate. I want to hear you play the guitar.'


	5. V

Owen let out a frustrated sigh as he dug through the files on the computer, making Zach look up from his homework.

'What's wrong?'

'Nothing! I just... I'm looking for this lost voicemail of your mother and I don't even know where to start.'

Grace handed him a glass of water, 'What kind of voicemail?'

Owen hesitated, 'Well... you know... just a voicemail. An important one.'

Zach sat down next to his uncle, 'Here, let me.'

Owen gladly abandoned the computer and he turned to Grace, 'The voicemail was deleted during the press conference your father gave, announcing that he'd be running for State's attorney all over again. Your mother didn't delete it, do you have any idea who could've had her phone?'

She shook her head and paused, 'Well... if she didn't have it and dad didn't, because he was doing that press conference... Eli Gold maybe? Dad's campaign leader.'

'Why would he delete mom's voicemail?' Zach cut in as he opened screens of which Owen didn't even know it's existence.

'I don't know, but who else could've had her phone?'

Alicia felt better than she had in weeks as she stepped out of the elevator, the hostile looks of her former coworkers not able to ruin her good mood.

She knocked on the door of the glass office, 'David Lee, can we talk?'

'What, so you and Cary can dig through my files to see if you can find any new clients to steal?'

A sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head, 'I don't have long, I'm needed at the hospital with Will.'

Some anger faded away in David's eyes as he heard Will's name, 'How is he?'

'He's stable, but that's about it.'

'Alright then, what do you want?'

Alicia closed the door behind her and sat down in the chair, glancing at the popcorn on his desk. 'The divorce case.'

'What divorce case?' David sputtered, clearly annoyed until he looked at Alicia again, 'oh... that divorce case. I thought you didn't want to go through with that.'

'I still don't.'

'Then what are you doing here?'

She bit her lip, 'I just want it to be ready, I want to be sure that if I... if something happens. I can take the paperwork straight to Peter and get it over with. We're separated and he's already breaking his promises. I told him to call my assistant in case he wanted to speak to me, but he used my daughters phone to call me.'

He rolled his eyes, 'Fine, but I'm charging you every hour I spent on this.'

'I wasn't expecting anything else and...' she hesitated, 'don't spare him a dime.'

A smirk appeared on David's face, 'You've changed, Alicia.'

She shrugged, 'I don't like being called a selfish bitch.'

He watched as she walked away, muttering to himself, 'I might even forgive you for stealing our clients if you go through with the divorce.'

Alicia walked towards the elevator, only to bump into Diane.

'What are you doing here?'

Alicia smiled, 'Just an old case for which I needed some files, I'm going back home and then to the hospital now. I'll see you tonight, right?'

She nodded, 'Yes, you will.'

'Oh and thank you,' Alicia told her, 'for asking if they could put me on the visitation list.'

'You're welcome, I knew it was the right thing to do.'

'You know, I never wanted kids, but yours are almost convincing me it wouldn't be so bad,' Owen said as he pointed at Zach and Grace, sitting by the computer.

'Did you put them to work?'

'Yep, they're retrieving your voicemail.'

Alicia's eyes widened and she dropped her bag, 'Owen! Did you forget who left me that voicemail?!'

'No, of course not. Mr. Georgetown did...' his eyes widened, 'oh. Shit.'

Alicia got out of her coat and rushed towards the computer, but right when she was about to tell her children to stop, they found the voicemail.

'No, you know what? You wanna know my plan Alicia? My plan is that I love you. And I've probably loved you... ever since Georgetown. If you don't feel the same way, just ignore this message and we can go on like normal. But if you do, make a plan with me.'

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stumbled backwards, unto the couch, 'Oh my god.' Owen sat down next to her and held her as she cried, 'He thought I didn't... because my stupid phone gobbles things... He...'

Grace and Zach sat frozen in their place as they listened to their mother ramble. Grace slowly slipping out of her chair and sitting down next to her mother.

Alicia's eyes widened, 'Grace! I'm so... sorry. You shouldn't have- I shouldn't have-'

She clenched her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her, 'I'm sorry he's in the hospital.'

Alicia sobbed silently, 'He's- he's going to be okay.'

'Can we see him?' Zach asked, to everyone's surprise, but mostly to his own.

'Yes. Of course. Why?'

'He makes you happy.'

Alicia stared at her daughter and glanced at her son and back at her daughter, 'How... how did you...?'

'You raised your kids to be smart sis, this is just payback,' Owen answered with a grin on his face.

Alicia held both her children's hands as they walked through the hospital, spotting Audrey waving at her in the distance.

'Is it okay if my children visit?'

'Yes, I suppose,' Audrey told her kindly, smiling at the two.

Alicia walked inside and sat down next to the bed, her children sitting down on the opposite side.

'We'll leave the lot of you be,' Sara told them as she left the room.

'Hey Will, you'll never believe who are in the room with me right now,' Alicia said as she held his hand, 'Zach and Grace asked if they could come.'

'Hey Will,' they said at the same time.

'And for the record, I'm pissed at you. I found the voicemail and it definitely did not say that I was right. It said something completely different and you should've told me the truth when I asked you about it.'

'Mom?' Grace asked, making her stop her rant.

'Yes?'

'We don't think your phone gobbles things, phones don't do that.'

A frustrated sigh left Alicia's lips, 'Mine does! Remember the pictures I tried to send Grandma?'

'That's because you didn't include them as an attachment,' Zach rolled his eyes as he realized it was useless to even try and explain, 'never mind mom. That's not the point. We think the voicemail was deleted on purpose.'

'We think Eli deleted it,' Grace added.

Alicia's eyes widened, anger bubbling inside of her, 'Okay, I'll deal with that later.'

'Are you going to divorce dad?'

She frowned as she looked at her daughter, 'What makes you think that?'

Grace glanced at her mother, holding Will's hand, 'The voicemail, the argument.'

'Your father hurt me and I thought I could get over that, but I can't. And then someone else made me happy, in a way your father couldn't anymore. I denied it, I walked away from it...' Alicia paused as she glanced at Will, her voice breaking, 'but I can't... not anymore...'

And she was met by her daughters embrace as tears rolled down her cheeks.

'What is he like?'

She turned to her son and smiled, 'Will... he likes sports... always makes those stupid sport references, leaving everyone in utter confusion. He's an amazing lawyer. He's ruthless in court, but he's a good man. He's kind and caring and he has this way of looking at... anyway. I just learned from his sisters that he plays the guitar and the idiot never told me.'

'I like the guitar, maybe he can teach me,' Grace proposed as she glanced at him. Machines and pipes attached to his body, the only things keeping him alive.

'I think he'd like that,' Alicia told her with a smile.


	6. VI

Alicia knocked unto Eli's office, impatience turning into frustration as she barged inside.

'Alicia, good to see you, you agreed to still go to the political-'

'The voicemail,' Alicia started, her voice stone cold, 'you deleted it didn't you?!'

The blood drained from his face, 'It would've... hurt Peter's career. I did what I-'

'You meddled with my personal life! And you took away my choice! I told you to keep me and my family out of your stupid campaign and that includes my voicemails! You shouldn't have listened to it, but more than anything, you shouldn't have deleted it.'

Eli nodded, 'I know Alicia, I'm sorry. But this was before I really knew-'

A chuckle left Alicia's lips, 'This was before I really knew you. You know where else I heard that stupid excuse?! From my best friend who slept with my husband! She shouldn't have slept with a married man and you shouldn't have deleted my voicemail. It doesn't matter whether or not you knew me. You knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway.'

'Yes, you're right, I'm sorry.'

Her body was fuming, boiling with anger and she turned around, slamming the door behind her. Thoughts racing, yet everything a blur.

Somehow she found herself in Lockhart Gardner just a couple of minutes later, watching as Kalinda left Diane's office.

'Alicia,' Kalinda muttered in surprise.

'Hey, do you have some free time?'

Her eyes widened, 'Yeah, of course.'

'I really thought you'd never forgive me,' Kalinda said as she took another sip of her beer.

'I never really blamed you, I was mostly pissed at Peter,' a laugh escaped Alicia's lips, 'I don't know why I... never mind. I just found it hard to... look at you and act normal... knowing you slept with him.'

'You know, his sisters thought I was sleeping with Will. I almost took both of your men.'

Alicia glare her a serious glare before erupting into laughter, 'Oh god... I'm wasted...,' she hesitated before shooting her friend a confused look, 'You and Will.. that would've been...'

Kalinda hummed, downing the rest of her beer, 'Me, out of all people...'

'Well, you're young,' she stated, 'Will has a thing for younger women.'

'Will has a thing for you and when he can't get you, he dates younger women to pass time.'

'I found a voicemail,' Alicia started as she sipped on her drink, 'one Eli deleted. In which Will told me he loved me.'

'Eli is into you too?'

Alicia's eyes widened, a snort so loud she would've been embarrassed if she hadn't been under the influence of so much alcohol, 'No! He was just scared that I'd act on it and stopped being Saint Alicia, which would result in the destruction of Peter's career.'

'Oh... I guess that makes sense,' Kalinda frowned, 'your phone is annoying.'

Alicia glanced at her phone, picking it up, but the name on the screen being to blurry to read, 'Peter, who's phone did you steal this time? Because I'm not in the mood for some story about how that hooker meant nothing to you.'

'Alicia, this is Audrey. Will woke up.'

And suddenly the clouds in Alicia's mind seemed to have completely faded away, 'What?'

'Your children stopped by and they played some old video you made in Georgetown. An hour later he woke up.'

'Oh my god,' she muttered as her heart filled with relief, 'I... I'll be right there.'

'What's going on?' Kalinda asked.

Alicia hung up her phone, 'It's Will... he's- he's awake.'

She hesitated as she stood a few steps away from Will's room.

'What are you doing? Get in there!'

Alicia turned towards Kalinda, 'He hated me, no, he despised me. And he had every right to. What if he-'

'Stop worrying and get your ass in there!'

She nodded and opened the door, relief washing over her as she looked at Will. His eyes open and talking to his sisters. Tears welling up in her eyes.

Will looked at the door and froze, 'What are you doing here?'

The words cut through her like knives, they weren't said in anger, but in confusion. Which made it hurt only so much more. He was confused as for why she cared, why it mattered that he was alive.

Her mouth was dry as she tried to speak, but the words never came. She turned around and closed the door behind her, sobs leaving her lips as she ran through the hospital halls.

Sara stared at her brother in disbelief, 'Why would you say that?'

'What do you mean?'

Audrey shook her head, 'That woman sat here at least ten hours a day, every day, talking to you. Crying, laughing, talking about cases, Georgetown, her kids, everything.'

Will looked up at Kalinda, who nodded, 'Yeah, she did, she really missed you.'

'She didn't before.'

'That was complicated, she had kids, she was married, she was the First Lady of Illinois.'

Will shook his head, 'Just leave it, Kalinda, tell me what happened at the firm instead.'

'David wants your office, Diane misses you and we merged with Louis Canning.'

'What?!'

'Yeah, everything is a mess now that you're gone. They're trying to kick Diane out too, but now that you're awake, I don't think that'll work out.'

'I have no idea what's going on, but Will is not going back to work anytime soon,' Sara told everyone, a sternly motherly tone taking over.

'I don't need to,' he reassured her, 'she's just talking about my vote and influence. I don't need to work for that, I already did, many years.'

'It's nice seeing you, awake and all,' Kalinda told him with a smile, 'tell me when you're allowed to drink, so we can get drunk and I can convince you to send Alicia a lot of texts.'

Will grinned, 'If you do that, I'll get your salary down until it's only a quarter of what a jury whisperer makes.'

'I'll walk.'

'No you won't, you just threaten me with that so I'll raise you salary. But I do that because you're good, not because I think you'll walk.'

Kalinda smirked, 'No, you're scared I'll walk. Because even if the possibility is small, I win your cases. Without me, you're lost.'

'I'm not lost, we have Robin.'

'Freshen up your memory, she left even before you slipped into a coma.'

Will frowned, 'Damn it. You ever thought of going to law school?'

'Studying super hard, throwing away my social life to become a junior associate and getting paid less than I am now? Never really considered it.'


	7. VII

'So you're going back to work now?' Owen asks his sister as he watches her digging through a bunch of files.

'Yes.'

'What about Mr. Georgetown? He needs you around you know, his sexy caretaker.'

Alicia shot a glare at her brother, 'He doesn't need me, he hates me.'

'Seriously?! This is what we got back to? After he almost died and you sat at his bed crying every night, the both of you just go back to dancing the same ridiculous tango? And not the devil's tango, because if that was the case, we wouldn't have so many problems right now.'

'Owen, I really don't have time for this.'

Alicia grabbed her things and closed the door behind her, leaving her brother in utter confusion. He paced back and forth, trying to piece together what the hell just happened. And out of the sudden he stopped, grabbing his car keys and rushing off to the hospital.

'Glad to have you back, Alicia.'

She smiled as she looked at Cary, 'Glad to be back, I'm sorry for abandoning you like that.'

He shrugged, 'That's why we share a firm, so the one of us can fall back into the other if necessary.'

'Yes, but I left you with a lot this time.'

'Yes, that's right. You owe me one.'

She grinned and nodded, 'Anything I need to know?'

'Nothing big, we're trying to bring in new clients, Robin is on the hunt for big companies that are unsatisfied with their legal representation. Just ehh,' Cary hesitated, 'I'm really sorry to ask you this but... can we keep pulling The Governor's Wife card?'

Alicia frowned, 'I'm not leaving.'

'No, I mean,' he paused again, 'now that Will almost died... is your marriage with Peter still... God I hate this- Can we keep telling our clients that you're the governors wife? Or would that be deceit?'

She was star struck for a moment, 'Well... Peter and I are not together anymore, but we're keeping up the appearance. I can't guarantee the press won't find out- Will's situation has absolutely nothing to do with this. But if Peter keeps pissing me off, I might divorce him.'

Cary nodded and laid his hand on her shoulder, 'Thanks. I'm really sorry for asking you that, I know you hate personal questions... but this was kind of important.'

She shook her head, 'No, I get it.'

'How is Will?'

'I don't know, I haven't seen him since he was in coma. Well I have, but only for five seconds.'

Cary's eyebrows furrowed as he sat down, 'What do you mean?'

'He asked me why I was there, I don't think he wants me around. Which is understandable, since I left his firm and stole his clients.'

'No, you left his firm and your faithful clients followed you, because they think you're a good lawyer.'

A sheepish smile appeared on her lips, 'Yes well, I don't think he sees it that way. But don't worry, he has two overbearing sisters that will keep watch over him- did you know he plays the guitar?'

He chuckled, 'No. He does?'

'Yeah,' Alicia's eyes lost focus for a split second, 'apparently he's quite good at it too. His sister, Audrey, insists that he would've made it as a musician.'

'Come and listen to the pop star, Will Gardner. He will be singing about the- what would he sing about?'

'Tammy? Baseball? Basketball? Or maybe his court cases, how would you sing about a court case?' She wondered out loud.

'I think he'd sing about you and your little affair you think no one knows about.'

Alicia glared at him, 'You used to think I slept my way to the top.'

'No, I tried to convince myself that you did. But I knew you were a damn good lawyer and I was just really jealous.'

She laughed with him for awhile and then he handed her a map with files, he turned around and walked to his desk. He was glad to have her back.

'Owen?' Will asked as he saw Alicia's brother standing in front of his hospital bed with a Happy Birthday balloon.

'The Get Well Soon ones were sold out.'

Will chuckled, 'Really?'

'No, they were just ugly. And look, this one has rainbow!'

'A rainbow?'

'Yes, because I'm gay. And my mother thought you were too. She thought we were sleeping together, then I had to snitch on Alicia. You know, before she'd start handing you pictures of me in my underwear. Alicia was really pissed. I think mom was glad Alicia was sleeping with you, this side of the family is not on Team Peter.'

Will couldn't help but laugh, 'Owen, thank you for saving me from that. But why are you here?'

'Saving you from what? Pictures in my underwear? They're not that bad-'

'Owen, why are you here?'

A sigh escaped his lips as he threw his hands in the air, the balloon raising to the ceiling. 'Because, like I said before, this side of the family is not on Team Peter. Peter hurts Alicia and keeps her from being happy. This side of the family is on Team Will. Will doesn't hurt Alicia and makes her happy.'

'I'm truly honored to have your support, but Alicia doesn't see it the same way.'

'Oh believe me, Alicia wants you, she's wanted you ever since Georgetown. I should know, I read her diary, she really doesn't stop ranting about this guy she calls Mr. Georgetown. And guess what, Mr. Georgetown is you!'

'I-'

'No! I wasn't finished yet,' Owen scolds Will as he points his finger at him, 'I've listened to her rant about your girlfriends. That time she helped me move to Chicago? We stayed in a motel and she talked all night about how this Tammy girl understood sports and how she would've never been able to keep up. How she wanted to finally make a move, only to notice you making up with Tammy by making out in your office and how she walked away.'

Will's eyes widened, 'She did what?'

'I've comforted her as she cried, because she was so afraid of losing you. I held her as she finally listened to that voicemail you were too much of a coward to repeat after Eli deleted it.'

'Eli Gold?!'

'Yes! My sister nearly had panic attack as she heard your voice blasting through the computer's speakers, because she was afraid you'd die hating her. She was afraid you'd die thinking she didn't love you, because someone deleted that voicemail and she never heard it.'


	8. VIII

'There's a call for you.'

Alicia looked up to see Robin, 'An important one?'

'He says his name is Owen and if you don't pick up your phone he's changing you computer background to gay porn, because you don't know how to change it back- do you really not know how to change your background?'

'Just hand me the phone.'

'Hey sis.'

'Owen, I'm at work, I really don't have time for this.'

'You're on loudspeaker.'

'With whom? Zach and Grace are at school, right? Is everything okay? Did something happen?'

'No, nothing happened. I'm just here, hanging with- what's your name again?- oh right- Audrey, Sara and Will.'

Alicia rolled her eyes as she leaned back into her seat, 'Owen, you're not funny right now, I'm needed at work. Cary hasn't seen me in weeks, I can't do half work now that I'm finally back at my own firm.'

'I'm not- never mind. We can do it your way. Just tell me why you haven't visited Will yet.'

'My way? What are you talking about? I haven't visited Will because he doesn't want to see me, he hates me, remember?'

'Yeah, that's what you keep saying... Even after you listened to a voicemail in which he told you he loved you!'

'That was years ago, who am I to think that he still does? I let him down, I broke things off. You said it yourself, I didn't want to be like mom.'

'"You can do this to me! But you can't do it to Owen!'"

Alicia laughed as she heard her brother trying to imitate her, 'I didn't want that to be Zach or Grace, I didn't want to tell them that I was putting my desires in front of their needs.'

'Maybe you should replace the words desires with happiness. And those kids of yours are much better at this than we were. Maybe it helps that their father already slept with a hooker.'

'Owen. He's been a bad husband, but he's been a good father, mostly. Zach and Grace are better at handling this than we were, I mean... remember when I took them to the hospital? Grace asked me if Will could teach her how to play the guitar.'

'See! So why don't you go to the hospital and tell Will what he's missing out on.'

'Because he's in the hospital Owen, he made it clear he didn't want to see me and the last time we spoke before...' Alicia cleared her throat when her voice failed her, 'the shooting. He told me he hated me. He's alive, he should be with his family and his friends. Not his ex- whatever I was.'

'But-'

'No, Owen, I have to go. I let you say your thing, now I have to go back to work.'

'You love Will-'

'Yes, I love him, but that's not the point.'

'Will is-'

'Goodbye, I'll see you at home.'

Alicia hung up the phone and opened her case files, meanwhile Owen sat in the hospital room, sighing in disbelief.

He glanced at Will, Audrey and Sara, 'Well, this is all I can do for you. My sister is a stubborn pain in the ass and-'

'Owen,' Will started, 'I need you to do something for me.'

Alicia stood in front of her apartment door, digging through her bag in order to find her keys. Once she was finally able to open it, she walked inside, taking off her heels.

'Hey.'

Alicia's eyes widened, her heart racing, 'What are you doing here?'


	9. IX

Peter lifted a bottle of red wine, 'Brought you a gift, first day at work and all.'

'How did you get in?'

'Jackie still has a key.'

She held her hand out, waiting as Peter stood there in confusion. 'The key, I want the key.'

'Alicia... please. We can talk about this, you were the one that said everything would be alright as long as we kept talking. We could argue and fight, but as long as we kept talking, we'd be alright.'

'Well, Peter, this selfish bitch is tired of playing your trophy wife, your arm candy. How do you like me talking when I say that?' She spat at him, words turning into venom.

'I didn't mean-'

'I don't care!' Alicia yelled, 'I don't care whether you meant it or not! I don't care whether it meant anything when you slept with a hooker or not! I just don't give a damn!'

The door opened slowly, only to reveal Owen.

Peter glared at him, before glaring at Alicia, 'You don't care about that, because it's not about that is it?! It's not about how many times I slept with a hooker! It's about Will, again.'

'Oh, shut it! You wanna know what this is about?! It's about me forgiving you over and over again, you screwing me over one way or another and then me realizing that I can do better.'

'Better?! Will is better?! You have a long list of surprises coming at you if you really believe that!'

'Out!' Alicia yelled, 'and don't ever call me with my daughter's phone again! Don't ever steal her key to enter my apartment again!'

'Grace's key?! You think I stole Grace's key?!'

'No, you didn't, but Jackie did! I took Jackie's key a long while ago. Now get out of my apartment!'

Peter stormed out, slamming the door behind him. And Alicia didn't even look at her brother, before grabbing her phone.

'David, hey, you remember that case I talked to you about?'

'Yes, you're leaving me in serious anxiety if you don't tell me I'm allowed to go through the with it, right now.'

'Do it.'

'I hate you, but I love you. You know that right?'

'No problem, no problem at all.'

Owen stared at his sister in amazement, 'I love you sis.'

Alicia laughed, relief flooding through her body, 'I should've done this earlier.'

'Done what?'

'Divorce Peter.'

Owen's eyes widened as he engulfed his sister into a hug, 'You did it!'

'I guess I did.'

Alicia turned around as she heard yelling in the corridor, she opened the door, only to see Will in a wheelchair. He was accompanied by his sisters and Peter apparently noticed him on his way out.

'You're enjoying this, aren't you?! Stealing my wife away from me, seducing her while she's vulnerable!'

Alicia's fists clenched, 'Peter, I said out!'

'She's her own person, she can make her own decisions and I believe she told you to get out,' Will spat.

'Oh yeah? What are you going to do? Take me on when you can barely stand?!'

'No,' Will said, ice cold, 'but do you really wanna beat up the guy in the wheelchair? I mean... do you really think that would be good for your political career?'

Alicia couldn't suppress a smile as Peter disappeared, she stared at Will and his sisters. 'Now what the hell are you doing here? You should be in a hospital bed, I don't think you're discharged yet.'

'I'm not, your brother sneaked me out.'

She turned around and shot a glare at Owen, who shrugged. His smile slowly turning into a pout, 'About that, we have to go back soon, I forgot my balloon and it was quite expensive.'

'We'll go with,' Audrey said as she grabbed Sara by her arm and followed Owen on his way out.

Alicia walked over to Will and rolled his wheelchair inside, 'How are you?'

'Never better.'

She smiled, tears burning in her eyes, 'Be honest with me, please.'

'No, truly, never better. Owen called you at work this morning, right?'

'Yeah, he did. how did you-'

'He let us listen in.'

Alicia's eyes widened, her mind racing back to everything she said earlier that day. "Yes, I love him, but that's not the point."

'It's okay,' he reassured her as he saw panic in her eyes riling up, 'we don't have to talk about that. But I do want to talk.'

'I said I loved you,' she muttered, 'on the phone. I said I loved you-'

'It's okay, we don't-'

'No,' she cut him off, 'I denied it over and over again. I never told you. You almost died not knowing. I love you. I really... I really do.'

A tear rolled down Will's cheek, 'I love you too.'

He motioned for her to come closer and she sat down on his lap, careful not to hurt him. Her hand linking behind his neck and a soft kiss placed on his lips. A giggle sounding softly, 'I missed this. I missed you.'

'You sat by my bed ten hours a day, I would've believed you if you said you'd gotten sick of me.'

'Never.'

'Never?'

'Never,' she reassured him as she buried her head in his shoulder, 'and don't do that to me ever again.'

'What?'

'Get shot, almost dying, that scared the hell out of me. Or lying about a voicemail, you should've told me what you said.'

'Would it have changed anything?' he asked softly.

'I don't know, it might have.'

Will stared at the woman he'd loved for so many years, 'I'm sorry I was so angry with you.'

'It's okay,' Alicia grinned, 'how did Owen get you to come here?'

'He showed up with a balloon and basically told me to get my shit together, after that he called you and you said you loved me... I don't think I needed more that that. Well, he had to sneak me out of the hospital of course.'

'What do you want to do now? Go back to the hospital?'

He shook his head and pulled her closer, 'I think I'm going to stay here a little longer,' he whispered into her ear before kissing her again.


	10. X

Alicia lend her hand to Will as he walked into her apartment, 'Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?'

'Yes, you're meeting the kids when they get home from school. Or would you rather be stuck with your sisters?'

He grinned, 'God no!'

He sat down on the couch, she crawled next to him and he played with her hair as they watched television.

'Owen said that you were afraid you wouldn't keep up with sports,' he whispered into her ear.

'He really spilled all the secrets, didn't he?'

'I'll teach you, I'll explain everything.'

She smiled, looking at him, 'That sounds nice.'

'Mom?! I got an A for my French essay!' Grace yelled as she ran into the living room, waving with a bundle of papers, only to see her mother with Will on the couch.

'Really?' Alicia asked as she sat up straight, 'that's amazing! I told you not to worry.'

Grace sat down next to her mother, 'Will's here?'

'Yes, he was discharged from the hospital. I thought he could stay with us until he's recovered, are you okay with that?'

She nodded and looked at Will, 'Mom said you play the guitar, can you teach me some time?'

He smiled, 'Of course, can I read your essay?' She handed it over to him and he furrowed his eyebrows, 'I never really paid attention during French class, I didn't see the importance. Until I had to represent a client in front of an Olympic court, I was lucky to have Diane, who speaks it fluently. Otherwise I would've lost the case.'

'I'm thinking about being a lawyer too,' Grace told him, 'I hope I can represent someone in an Olympic court.'

'Well if you keep getting such good grades, I don't think there'll be a problem,' Alicia told her with a smile.

'Can I talk to Will?'

Her eyes widened, she glanced at him and back at her daughter, 'Yes... of course...'

Will watched as Alicia walked away and smiled kindly at her daughter, 'What do you want to talk about?'

'You make mom happy,' Grace started, 'really happy. Don't hurt her, like dad did.'

'Can I tell you something?' he asked her and she nodded, 'I met your mom for the first time at Georgetown. We studied together and we had a lot of fun. I fell in love with her, but I never had the guts to tell her. And she met your dad, she got you and Zach. I loved her for all those years, I'm never going to throw that away, now that I finally have it.'

A tear ran down Grace's cheek and she hugged him, 'I'm glad you got shot... you know... so you got together.'

Will started laughing and Alicia walked back into the room with drinks, 'Everything alright here?'

'Yes, you raised a great kid.'

'And you chose a great boyfriend.'

Alicia's eyes widened, 'I'm really to old to call someone my boyfriend, I feel like an rich elderly woman with a young boyfriend when you say that.'

'Like grandma?'

Alicia choked on her saliva as she put down the drinks, 'Your father didn't fire Jackie's nurse yet?'

'No, I can't look at him though, or grandma. Not after she googled condoms on our computer.'

'Zach told you?'

Grace frowned, 'No, I mean at dad's, she left a tab open with condom brands. Did she do it here too?'

'Yes, I thought Zach googled it. But then he told me he didn't so that's why I asked you, remember? And then Zach traced it and Jackie looked it up apparently... she did it again?'

'Yeah...'

Will listened, eyes wide open, 'Is that Jackie, as in Peter's mother? The one that spoke about him on tv?'

'We think she's sleeping with her nurse,' Alicia told him, 'but let's never talk about that again.'

'Agreed,' Grace said as she took a sip from her water.

Alicia softly squeezed Will's hand as all three of them turned their attention to the baseball game. And somehow she knew, everything was going to be alright.

**The end**


End file.
